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West Side YMCA - Community Arts

(4.7-star rating across 32 reviews)

West Side YMCA focuses on developing healthy bodies, minds, and spirits through various learning activities and arts programs. They provide opportunities for self-expression, arts education, and professional performing arts training, while also teaching life skills and fostering creativity.

West Side YMCA - Community Arts

About West Side YMCA - Community Arts

How We Build:

Healthy Bodies

We develop bodies and voices through participation in arts programs that build and strengthen community.

We teach self-expression through writing, visual art, creative drama, movement, dance, and theatre.

Healthy Minds

We support arts education and literacy efforts, providing opportunities through the development of innovative partnerships, programming, and theater resource services. We explore ideas and culture.

We involve young people in the entire creative and technical process and development of productions.

We empower maximize the potential of our youth by providing professional performing arts training, workshops, connections, and performance opportunities.

Healthy Spirits

We develop confidence, imagination, a sense of self, teamwork, discipline, integrity, and other life skills through the teaching of stage skills.

We provide a safe place to be passionate an creative, and inspire a desire for learning.

We use the arts as a dynamic and progressive tool to teach effective ways to listen and communicate.

We provide a creative forum for young people to express their concerns and ideas.

School location

Map showing 5 W 63rd St, New York, NY 10023

West Side YMCA - Community Arts

Midtown, Manhattan
5 W 63rd St
Btwn W 62nd & W 64th Streets
New York, New York 10023

Reviews of West Side YMCA - Community Arts

(4.7-star rating across 32 reviews)

  • Stained Glass

    laure B. • June 28, 2024
    had a great time. loved our teacher. lot of fun

  • Stained Glass

    Helena F. • June 21, 2024
    Great class, as usual!

  • Stained Glass

    Anonymous • August 9, 2023

  • Stained Glass

    Gabriel M. • August 3, 2023

  • Writing for Stage and Screen

    Rita W. • February 11, 2020
    I couldn't have taken a better workshop with a better group of writers. Trying a new genre or anything new comes with challenges. (That's my case!) Our leader and the group of writers with varying interests and levels of professionalism are insightful, encouraging and a lot of fun! The exercises and takeaways will serve me in other forms of writing. I prefer the insider tips and guidance to the academic approach. If you learn by doing, this is for you. These few weeks went by too quickly. I'm signing up again!

  • Filling the Well

    April S. • August 14, 2019

  • Life Stories

    Isa F. • June 21, 2019

  • The Art of Personal Narrative

    Brenda S. • December 21, 2018

  • The Heart of the Matter

    Razan J. • October 3, 2018

  • Memoir Splash!

    Ruth Ferris • August 29, 2018
    Excellent feedback from class instructor and fellow attendees (Mindy Lewis maintains good class structure and an encouraging environment for all participants. It's apparent from her notes and comments that she takes time to evaluate student submissions.) Good and thoughtful reading recommendations for further development Supportive class environment Small class size for individualized attention Class targeted at the right level Scheduled time convenient

  • Telling Great Stories

    Erik • August 29, 2018
    I have taken part in a number of workshops over the years. In the capable hands of Thad Rutkowski, this one ranked among the very best. We had a half dozen writers of various skill levels, styles, and interests. Despite our differences, with guidance from Thad, we worked together beautifully as a team in improving our story-telling. Over the course of the class, the improvement in the quality of our work became something for all of us to marvel at and take pride in. In a fairly short time, we formed an effective team feeding off each other's comments. I found the experience highly productive as well as fun.

  • Memoir Splash!

    Barbara Felton • August 27, 2018
    Mindy was knowledgeable about the craft of writing and, at the same time, responsive to the needs and wishes of the class. She provided extensive feedback to each student and led the class in high-level discussion of writing. This was a wonderful course!

  • Telling Great Stories

    Paul Zeigler • August 27, 2018
    Thad Rutkowski, a talented writer and teacher, offers insight, inspiration, and encouragement. He, and fellow classmates, gave me the courage and confidence to believe in myself and write.

  • Memoir Splash!

    Anonymous • August 24, 2018
    I loved the small group atmosphere of the class. Mindy Lewis is a gifted teacher and had insightful teaching moments that allowed me to expand my writing in a more meaningful way.

  • Telling Great Stories

    Daniel Dworkin • August 23, 2018
    This class really helped me develop as a writer. The structure of the workshop encourages people to write small works, or take steps at completing longer work. I can see a significant difference between my writing quality from my first session and now. The participants are great to work with, and Thad really helped guide me to better performance than I thought possible. I would say this class is worth the investment, even if you don't have a novel in mind to write, you may find the inspiration for one out of the many prompts. I don't even live in NYC, and it's still worth the trip from upstate NY to attend.

  • Telling Great Stories

    Art Lasky • August 23, 2018
    Thad creates a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment for both beginners and experienced writers. He encourages participation and provides constructive feedback. His policy on how much of their own (non-class assignment) work each writer is allowed to submit is liberal. I believe everyone in his class comes away a better writer for it.

  • Filling the Well

    Meghan K. • August 11, 2018

  • Going Deeper: Fiction Workshop

    Lynda Cohen C. • August 10, 2018

  • Filling the Well

    Meghan K. • June 20, 2018
    Beth gives a number of options as your prompts for each class, and then an additional fun activity is assigned as part of an effort to get you to think creatively and expose yourself to new ideas. Beth is a kind, thoughtful teacher who has very insightful critiques and suggestions on what direction you should go in and how you can strengthen each piece. This was my second time taking this course and I've already signed up for it again!

  • Filling the Well

    Meghan K. • April 18, 2018
    This is the second class of Beth's that I've taken at the YMCA and I really enjoyed it. Each class, each student reads their 300-word work aloud, based on the prompt assigned the last week. This format allows for students to experiment with one-off pieces or continue working on longer works throughout the course. Beth's critiques are thoughtful and helpful. I would absolutely take this class again, and I suggest you do too!

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